Census shows 'middle-age drain' making Ohio older

TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) — So much for all the worrying about “brain drain” in Ohio.

New estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau show that a bigger problem just might be “middle-age drain.”

Over the last decade, the loss of middle-age Ohioans outpaced the drop in the state’s young workers.

According to figures released today, there was an 18 percent decline among the number of Ohioans ages 35 to 44, about 325,000 fewer people.

The findings go against a commonly held belief that young people are leading the way out of Ohio in search of warmer climates and better job markets.

The number of young workers, ages 25 to 34, dropped by 110,000 — slightly more than 7 percent.

Overall, the state had a slight gain in population, with 11.5 million residents.